Hey folks,
Now that we’re well over a year post-launch, still releasing free major updates, and our list of platforms and content is expanding, Darcy and I wanted to create a central location for all queries related to our content philosophies, production processes, and roll out plans for the future.
If we haven't answered something, or you'd like more information, don't hesitate to ask. We're obviously not going to talk about every single detail, but if it's something we can or are willing to divulge I'll update the FAQ / answer below.
When will the Bandit Clan be publicly available?The Bandit Clan will launch as paid DLC in Q2 2017. Details regarding DLC contents, pricing and release dates are TBA.Glad you asked! Shortly after launching into Early Access, Armello's Kickstarter backers voted to release previously exclusive content (including the Bandit Clan) to the public, after a period of exclusivity. The public release of this content was scheduled for release alongside the launch of Armello on iPad.
We were hoping for a Q1 2017 launch of both iPad and The Bandit Clan DLC. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, the iPad release is taking longer than we'd hoped. In order to expedite the Bandit Clan's release and get them in your hands sooner, The Bandit Clan DLC is being decoupled from the launch of iPad and is now slated for Q2 2017.
Similar to Usurpers, the Bandit Clan will be released as DLC. This isn't just a Hero pack though. It's the arrival of Armello's fifth Clan, complete with four Heroes, clan ring, some other goodies, and of course, the fifty plus Bandit exclusive quests - our biggest lore drop to date.
We're shooting for a simultaneous launch on Steam, PS4 and Xbox One. However, we're at Xbox and PlayStation's mercy as to whether that's a reality.
More details aren't too far off. We’ll update this FAQ as they roll in.
When will the iPad and Android Tablet versions be available?Current projection for an iPad release is mid 2017, with the Android release to follow shortly thereafter.Progression on the development of Armello's tablet platforms has been a focus for production for almost eighteen months now, however we simply have not been able to find and hire people capable of delivering the task to the level of quality we require here at LoG. Hence the delays.
I’m happy to say that those problems have now been solved and Armello iPad/Android is in full development with multiple people working on bringing it to life right now.
Mid 2017 is a few months later than we’d expected, but you know how LoG rolls; if the options are "get it out the door" or "take our time to do it properly" we'll always make you wait for the superior experience.
We're here to make quality products. Not having you play something sub-standard sooner.
Sit tight. <3
How often do you release free content updates for Armello?Major branded updates every two to three months, with smaller patches, events, dice collections, etc, often dropping in between.For as long as it is profitable and there are things we feel Armello needs, we’ll be releasing regular, free major updates to Armello. These updates will vary in size, theme and contents. We are always planning at least three updates in advance, so if the contents of an update seem minimal or don’t appeal to you, it’s very likely one of the following updates will satiate your appetite and expectations.
How much of your resources are dedicated to producing regular free content updates?At any given time, 75-100% of the Armello team (and contractor) resources are assigned to the development of free content.Armello's been out of Early Access since the 1st of September, 2015. We're grateful that the game remains successful enough for us to continue working in an Early Access model, bringing you free major updates and content regularly.
However, we regularly assign some folks to working on paid content in order to supplement base game sales and meet community requests for a more diverse range of Armello content.
You had a successful Kickstarter. Why are you still charging for the game/content/anything?Our Kickstarter campaign raised $300k AUD. By launch, Armello cost $2.4m to develop and we've nearly spent that much again supporting and releasing major content for free post-release.Almost in every case, Kickstarter funds don’t cover a video game's total costs forever. As the figures mentioned above demonstrate, this is definitely the case for Armello.
Why do you charge for additional in-game content when I had to buy Armello?All purchasable content is not covered by base game sales, hence its existence is only made possible by charging for it.Every piece of paid content we release is not covered by the base game’s sales. We’re very thankful for Armello’s success, but being priced at $19.99 USD only permits a certain amount of ongoing support and content production.
Each item of paid content has its own production budget and timelines, as well as revenue targets, with the goal that it will help fund the next free update or next paid DLC; And so the cycle continues.
Without putting a price tag on our more premium content, which is incredibly costly to develop, we simply would not be able to afford its creation.
Why does X paid content cost Y?Our decisions regarding the price of various content are the result of numerous factors, including development time and costs, sales expectations, scope and size of the content, in-game implications, and prestige of the content in question.As mentioned above, each product we attach a price tag to has a separate production budget and revenue targets, and are all tracked individually.
You can likely see that one of our goals is to release a broad range of content in the hopes of serving our vast player base of varying ages and backgrounds with a variety of interests and appetites. This is reflected in our pricing spectrum as well.
Everyone doesn’t like the same things, so we try to make a broad range of content within our universe so there’s a little something for everyone.
I don’t want to pay for X Armello content, do I have any other options?Sure! We understand not everyone is able to justify the cost of each piece of content we release. Many of Armello's inventory items drop for free in public multiplayer games, on-selling these items on the Steam Marketplace for Steam Wallet Funds can help you cover costs for additional Armello content.Although Armello doesn’t have an in-game currency system, all items dropped for free in public multiplayer games are Tradeable and Marketable. This means you can sell them on the Steam Community Marketplace in exchange for Steam Wallet Funds. Many folks within our community fund the purchase of in-game Armello content (and other games!) with funds earned selling Armello content on Steam's Community Marketplace. This is a fantastic way for players to make some cold hard cash from their Armellian exploits.
You can also trade Steam Inventory items with other players in exchange for content that you want.
Also, we’ve been known to run regular sales across all of our content, so keep an eye out for Skeeve’s thrifty deals.
Also also, check out the Armello Marketplace…
here.Why did you work on X while I’ve been waiting for Y?The specific individuals working on X don’t necessarily work on Y.Everyone within LoG has a variety of skills that are relevant to different features and tasks within Armello and League of Geeks. Our gameplay programmer, for example, isn’t responsible for producing 3D assets for Armello.
It’s also worth mentioning that we are working on a slew of rad features and content. Some of that content is public knowledge and it’s excellent that people are excited about it. That said, other unannounced content may have a higher priority internally.
Wouldn’t you make more money if you sell X for Y?Profitability isn’t the sole consideration when pricing our content.Our main goal has always been to make a profitable game, so we can keep making games. Some decisions we lead with need to earn money, others purely enrich the game at cost to us, we constantly balance these two factors.
That said, it’s worth noting that we’re the folks with the data, targets and internal strategies. Rest assured that we’re doing our best for our community and our studio.
What are your plans for future content within Armello?Nice try, mate. We know you’re keen to see what’s in the oven, but we’re not going to spill the beans that easily. Rest assured, we have a heap of interesting content that’s currently in development.
Why do updates typically take longer to land on console?As opposed to Steam, Xbox One and PS4 have a certification process to ensure developers adhere to their guidelines and quality standards. Consoles also have their own multiplayer and social infrastructure that requires integration.Through Steam, we have complete control over Armello builds. The stability and quality of a build on Steam is the responsibility of the developer. On each console platform, they have a certification process that ensures games on their platform are stable and adhere to their guidelines. After releasing a build on Steam, we spend the next week or so rolling out hot fixes to ensure it’s air-tight, then we wrap that into a console build, which can take several weeks, in preparation for submission to consoles.
Note: There are occasions when we’ll have to skip an update on consoles due to incompatibility between Steam and console features.
Remember: If there are any questions you feel we’ve missed comment below and we’ll address them if we can. <3 Trent
Topic: Armello FAQ - Production, Updates and DLC (Read 7166 times)